Mud, money both being slung with abandon in Dist. 23

The GOP says Pete Gallego’s (left) support of health care legislation means “higher taxes, fewer jobs.” Democrats paint Francisco “Quico” Canseco (right) as a “millionaire who is out for himself, not us.”

WASHINGTON — Democrats started the mudslinging last week with an ad that paints Republican Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco, a former San Antonio banker, as a “millionaire who is out for himself, not us.”

Republicans responded in kind with ads that describe his opponent, Democratic state Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine, as a liberal whose support of the “government takeover of health care” means “higher taxes, fewer jobs.”

So far, the two candidates vying for the San Antonio-based congressional district have spent $2.4 million in a barrage of negative advertising, an amount that already has eclipsed the sum spent two years ago, when Canseco eked out a victory over incumbent Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D, with less than 50 percent of the vote.

The rough-and-tumble campaign being played out on TV underscores the competitiveness between the candidates and their parties just 53 days before the Nov. 6 election.

“It is an extremely tight race,” said David Wasserman, a House race analyst with the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter that handicaps national elections.

The total of $2.4 million already surpasses the $2 million spent in 2010. More is being pledged, in light of the gap in spending between the GOP and Democratic committees.

“That disparity won't be the same by the end of the race,” said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., who serves as the DCCC chairman.

Special-interest groups also are eyeing the race, and are expected to pour even more money into the battle.

The League of Conservation Voters spent $300,000 in the Democratic primary to help Gallego win the nomination over Rodriguez, the former congressman. Those funds were used to buy TV ad time, direct mail and phone banks to get out the vote.

An LCV spokesman, Jeff Gohringer, said the group would spend money on behalf of Gallego in the general election, against Canseco.

“We've been involved in this race for a long, long time. We are definitely committed to the race,” Gohringer said.

LCV has declared Canseco one of its “Flat Earth Five,” Republican lawmakers whose stance on global warming has made them a target of the environmental group.

Yeldell, Canseco's campaign manager, said voters see through the attacks by special-interest groups and may instead question Gallego's independence and previous record in the state House on issues like energy.

“These false attacks are merely trying to distract from the fact that a career politician like Pete Gallego is a radical environmentalist with a history of raising taxes on Texas families and small businesses,” Yeldell said.

NRCC spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said Gallego has had a “tax-and-spend agenda” during his 20-year tenure in the state House.

But Gallego said he is a strong advocate for small businesses, noting that a small business was how his family in West Texas “worked its way up to the middle class.”

His spokeswoman, Rebecca Acuna, said the attacks on Gallego by Republicans were an attempt to push the spotlight away from Canseco's congressional record.

“Desperate extremists and special interest groups are trying to distract attention from Congressman Canseco's dismal record by making silly accusations,” Acuna said.

Wasserman said spending on television ads on behalf of both candidates is likely to climb much higher before Election Day.